No one is outright saying that the Sound Strike musicians boycott of Arizona is over, but on Friday one of its staunchest backers and biggest names announced it is coming back to Arizona.
Chicago punk-rock band Rise Against has scheduled a pair of Arizona shows in the fall - a benefit for the Florence Project Sept. 27 at the Orpheum in Flagstaff and a show the next night at Tempe Beach Park. It's the group's first trip to Arizona since playing a Mesa Amphitheatre show in July 2009; the following May it joined the Sound Strike of artists boycotting Arizona over SB 1070, the state's controversial immigration law.
In a statement on its website, the band said it was returning to Arizona in light of Sound Strike's "recent announcement of shifting strategies." Sound Strike, while not saying the strike is over, is now encouraging artists to take their fight against the law to Arizonans by discussing the issue during performances and meeting with proponents "on the ground," according to a statement on its website.
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The movement's managing director, Javier Gonzalez, could not be reached for comment Friday.
Much of Arizona's 2010 immigration law is in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is considering whether provisions of the law violate individual constitutional rights. The court is expected to announce its ruling in June.
Sound Strike launched in late May 2010,, led by Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha. The original list of more than two dozen artists boycotting included Kanye West, Joe Satriani, Cypress HIll, Sonic Youth, Juanes, Conor Oberst and Los Tigres del Norte; other artists like Los Lobos were not officially part of the strike, but also refused to play the state.
That all started to change a year in. Ozomatli tiptoed back when it played the inaugural Civility Concert benefit in March 2011; it has played at least two shows since then, including a show at Casino del Sol's AVA last Saturday with comedian Gabriel Iglesias. Los Tigres del Norte played the Pima County Fair in April 2011, saying at the time that speaking up was better than staying away. Los Lobos made their first post-strike visit to the Rialto Theatre in May 2011.
"Almost every single act that has protested us is now playing," said Club Congress entertainment director David Slutes. "Our position has always been that it's better to come out here and bring the message to Arizona rather than deny us."
"I think the Sound Strike got as big as it was going to get, then they had pretty much nothing more to do," said Curtis McCrary, the Rialto's general manager and event booker. "But does it mean that everyone is going to come rushing back here? I don't think so. It's still a pretty sensitive issue for those involved."
Rock guitarist Satriani had hoped the Supreme Court would have decided the issue before his new band Chickenfoot arrived in Tucson for a May 31 show at Casino del Sol's AVA.
"For me, just going back to Arizona after participating in the Sound Strike is a big deal," Satriani said in an interview earlier this month. "The boycott for me has run its course. It's now in the hands of the court. However the court decides and however the people of Arizona decide to move forward, I'll accept it."
Coming soon
Here are a few upcoming shows from artists who had boycotted the state in opposition to Arizona's immigration law:
• Chickenfoot featuring Joe Satriani, May 31 at Casino del Sol's AVA.
• Los Lobos, at the Rialto Theatre June 14.
• Rise Against, Sept. 27 at the Orpheum in Flagstaff, Sept. 28 at Tempe Beach Park.
Contact reporter Cathelena E. Burch at 573-4642 or at burchce@azstarnet.com
